1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an after treatment device for sorted papers installed in a copying machine and a printer, etc.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an copying apparatus or a printer, a copying paper on which an original image is copied or a printed paper or sheet is guided to one of bins of a sorter or a stack of the apparatus or the printer. When a predetermined number of papers are stacked on each bin, the stack of papers is taken out of the bin for conducting an after treatment such as binding the papers by a stapler or a fastener, forming binding holes by a punching device, or applying paste for bookbinding. Such an after treatment is conducted by an operator handling the stacks of papers taking out of bins, which is inefficient and troublesome. Therefore, an after treatment device has been developed which carries out a predetermined treatment for the papers in the bin. For example, there is a sorter stapling device which staples the stack of papers in each bin.
A typical example of such an after treatment device for sorted papers (sorter stapler) is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laying Open (KOKAI) Nos. 62-290655, 62-290677, 63-60871, and 63-116168, wherein when a predetermined number of papers are discharged into respective bins, the papers in each bin are stapled.
In that case, it is necessary to evenly arrange the edges of the papers, copying papers for instance, stacked in the bin so as to reliably bind the papers. For this purpose, the copying apparatus comprises a means for arranging the paper edges even in each bin. In order to enhance the productivity, the stapling operation may be started when a last original is copied and the copy paper is discharged into a first bin, without waiting till a predetermined number of papers are stacked in all of the bins.
The copying apparatus equipped with the sorter stapler is selectively operated in an autostaple mode or a manual staple mode set as a binding mode. In the auto staple mode, in conjunction with an ADF (Auto Document Feeder), the stapling operation is automatically started after the last original is copied so that the copy papers are bound. On the other hand, in the manual staple mode, in conjunction with a SADF (Semi Auto Document Feeder), the stapling operation is started by manipulating a staple key after the papers are sorted.
In accordance with the above-mentioned patent documents, the stapling operation is started after all bins are filled with a predetermined number of papers, that is, the stapling operation is not started even if one of the bins is filled with the predetermined number of papers until the remaining bins are filled with the papers, which is very inefficient.
Also, it is possible, as mentioned before, to start the stapling operation when the copy of the last original is discharged in the first bin so that the papers are bound from the first bin. However, in this case, since the stapling operation is controlled independently from the paper arranging operation, if the operation time is shortened as possible in the stapling sequence, the time for functioning the jogger becomes too short for conducting a sufficient jogging motion, which generates a time for "wait" and the motion becomes unsmooth in addition to that the productivity is lowered.